Reading the Gospels, Letters and Prophets

This is the last lesson on kinds of writing: the Gospels and letters of the New Testament, plus the prophets of the Old.

First, the Gospels. The four Gospels tell of the same Jesus, and each has its own purpose. John says it most directly: “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” (John 20:31) He also says that Jesus did many other signs, “which are not written in this book” (John 20:30)—the Gospels are not a running log; the writers selected. Luke too says that, “having traced the course of all things accurately from the first,” (Luke 1:3) he resolved “to write to you in order,” (Luke 1:3) “that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.” (Luke 1:4)

So when you read a Gospel, first look for the purpose it states; then with each event, ask: why did the writer put this here? When the four Gospels tell the same event, the details often differ; don’t rush to see a contradiction. Read one Gospel through first, then compare it with another.

Next, the letters. The letters are real letters, and with a letter you look first at the opening: who wrote it? To whom? The first sentence of Philippians makes it clear: Paul and Timothy, “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi.” (Phil 1:1) Then Paul says: “I thank my God whenever I remember you,” (Phil 1:3) because of their “partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now.” (Phil 1:5) In Lesson 3 we saw that this letter ends with a thank-you; put the opening and the ending together, and the warmth of the whole letter comes through.

It is best to read a letter in one sitting. These letters were first read aloud when the church gathered, and Paul even told the church at Colossae: “When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans” (Col 4:16). No one who receives a letter from home reads one sentence a day. Philippians has only four chapters and can be read in about fifteen minutes.

Letters have hard parts too; Peter himself said that in Paul’s letters “there are some things that are hard to understand” (2 Pet 3:16). Note down what you don’t understand and take it to your small group or church—which is exactly what Lesson 1 said: reading the Bible is not something we do alone.

Finally, a word about the prophets. The prophets spoke first of all to the people of their own day, often calling a people who had left God to return. So when reading the prophets, first listen for what the original hearers heard. Micah put what God wants very plainly: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Mic 6:8) Churches interpret the prophets’ words about the future differently; please ask your own church. This course practices the first step: hearing clearly what was said then.

Three kinds of books, three questions: Gospels—why did the writer write? Letters—to whom, and why? Prophets—what did the people then hear?